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Appendix II: 1992 FBI Study of Satanic Ritual Abuse 319
debate is over how much investigation is enough. Any
law enforcement agency must be prepared to defend and
justify its actions when scrutinized by the public, the
media, elected officials, or the courts. This does not
mean, however, that a law enforcement agency has an
obligation to prove that the alleged crimes did not occur.
This is almost always impossible to do and investigators
should be alert for and avoid this trap.
One major problem in the investigation of multidimensional
child sex rings is the dilemma of recognizing
soon enough that you have one. Investigators must be
alert for cases with the potential for the four basic
dynamics: (a) multiple young victims, (b) multiple
offenders, (c) fear as the controlling tactic, and (d)
bizarre or ritualistic activity. The following techniques
apply primarily to the investigation of such multidimensional
child sex rings:
Minimize Satanic/Occult Aspect
There are those who claim that one of the major reasons
more of these cases have not been successfully prosecuted
is that the satanic/occult aspect has not been aggressively
pursued. One state has even introduced legislation
creating added penalties when certain crimes are
committed as part of a ritual or ceremony. A few states
have passed special ritual crime laws. I strongly disagree
with such an approach. It makes no difference what
spiritual belief system was used to enhance and facilitate
or rationalize and justify criminal behavior. It serves no
purpose to “prove” someone is a satanist. As a matter of
fact, if it is alleged that the subject committed certain
criminal acts under the influence of or in order to conjure
up supernatural spirits or forces, this may very well
be the basis for an insanity or diminished capacity
defense, or may damage the intent aspect of a sexually
motivated crime. The defense may very well be more
interested in all the “evidence of satanic activity.” Some
of the satanic crime “experts” who train law enforcement
wind up working or testifying for the defense in
these cases.
It is best to focus on the crime and all the evidence
to corroborate its commission. Information about local
satanic or occult activity is only of value if it is based on
specific law enforcement intelligence and not on some
vague, unsubstantiated generalities from religious
groups. Cases are not solved by decoding signs, symbols,
and dates using undocumented satanic crime “manuals.”
In one case a law enforcement agency executing a
search warrant seized only the satanic paraphernalia
and left behind the other evidence that would have corroborated
victim statements. Cases are solved by people-and
behavior-oriented investigation. Evidence of
satanic or occult activity may help explain certain
aspects of the case, but even offenders who commit
crimes in a spiritual context are usually motivated by
power, sex, and money.
Keep Investigation and Religious Beliefs Separate
I believe that one of the biggest mistakes any investigator
of these cases can make is to attribute supernatural
powers to the offenders. During an investigation a good
investigator may sometimes be able to use the beliefs
and superstitions of the offenders to his or her advantage.
The reverse happens if the investigator believes
that the offenders possess supernatural powers.
Satanic/occult practitioners have no more power than
any other human beings. Law enforcement officers who
believe that the investigation of these cases puts them in
conflict with the supernatural forces of evil should
probably not be assigned to them. The religious beliefs
of officers should provide spiritual strength and support
for them but should not affect the objectivity and professionalism
of the investigation.
It is easy to get caught up in these cases and begin to
see “satanism” everywhere. Oversensitization to this
perceived threat may cause an investigator to “see”
satanism in a crime when it really is not there (quasisatanism).
Often the eye sees what the mind perceives. It
may also cause an investigator not to recognize a staged
crime scene deliberately seeded with “satanic clues” in
order to mislead the police (pseudo-satanism). On rare
occasions an overzealous investigator or intervenor may
even be tempted to plant “evidence of satanism” in
order to corroborate such allegations and beliefs.
Supervisors need to be alert for and monitor these reactions
in their investigators.
Listen to the Victims
It is not the investigator’s duty to believe the victims; it is
his or her job to listen and be an objective fact finder.
Interviews of young children should be done by investigators
trained and experienced in such interviews.
Investigators must have direct access to the alleged victims
for interview purposes. Therapists for an adult survivor
sometimes want to act as intermediaries in their patient’s
interview. This should be avoided if at all possible.
Adult survivor interviews are often confusing difficult
and extremely time-consuming. The investigator
must remember however that almost anything is possible.
Most important the investigator must remember
that there is much middle ground. Just because one
event did happen does not mean that all reported events
happened, and just because one event did not happen
does not mean that all other events did not happen. Do
not become such a zealot that you believe it all nor such
a cynic that you believe nothing. Varying amounts and
parts of the allegation may be factual. Attempting to find
evidence of what did happen is the great challenge of
these cases. All investigative interaction with victims
must be carefully and thoroughly documented.
Assess and Evaluate Victim Statements
This is the part of the investigative process in child sexu-